Remake
14 DI A BETIC LI V ING / SPR ING 2019
1
TAKE STOCK You may think that
your overstuff ed medicine cabinet
is harmless, but, according to the FDA,
most abused prescription drugs come
from family and friends. Diabetes drugs
are rarely the culprit (opioids are the big-
gest problem), but even they can be dan-
gerous when misused. So what do you
have in there? Pull it all out and sort it
into piles according to what you’re using
and not using right now.2
CHECK DATES & DOSAGES
Expiration dates are calculated ac-
cording to drug stability. “Th ey indicate
when the drug may stop working to its
full eff ect,” explains community pharma-
cist and Diabetic Living advisor Marty
Irons, RPh, CDE. Expired medications
should be cleared out—and the same
goes for insulin vials: most last 30 to 42
days. “Insulin breaks down very quickly,
and that can really impact your blood-
sugar numbers,” says Irons. Also scruti-
nize your medication dosages, which may
have changed over time. With some dia-
betes meds, for example, if your weight or
activity level has changed, you may be on
a diff erent dose now than you were with
an older prescription. If you’re concerned
about dumping expensive but outdated
meds, ask your doctor or pharmacist
what’s safe and what’s not.3
DISCARD PROPERLY
Current, unexpired meds can go
back on the shelf. For everything else,
follow the FDA guidelines for safe dis-
posal, so the meds don’t wind up in the
wrong hands. Th e preferred method is
to bring unwanted meds to a “take-back”
site. Ask your pharmacist for locations
(many pharmacies have collection boxes
on site). If you can’t fi nd a take-back site,
you can dispose of meds at home. First,
ask your pharmacist or contact your local
health department about any guidelines
for drug disposal. If there are no specifi c
local rules for your meds, you can dispose
of them by mixing them with dirt or cat
litt er, sealing the mixture in a plastic bag,
and placing the bag in the trash.Cap the ClutterSpring-clean your medicine cabinet by safely
disposing of old and unwanted meds.BY CHRIS HAYHURST
1 in 5
Americans haven’t cleaned
out their medicine cabinet
in at least three years,
according to a 2017
Consumer Reports survey.